Wheel tightener



2 Sheets-Sheet l E Z. W@ 0J A. z. GATEwooD WHEEL TIGHTENER Filed NOV. l, 1930 ug. 25, 1931. A. z. GATEWooD 1,820,793

WHEEL TIGHTENER Filed Nov. 1, 1930 2 sheets-sheet 2 S14/vento@ 1H. Z, @aaien/@0J Patented ug. 25,1931 i aggirarsi' emmener l Thisfinvention relates' to improvements in devicesrfor tightening v up t wheels, particu` larly motor vehicle `whe y els ofthe type'hav# Qing an iron elloe'.l f t *gli The-primary object of the/'present inven-` tion is to provide a tooly by means of which the connection between the `felloe of a'wheel ',andithe ltenon ,t which ypasses ythroughA the cned/inY they wheelhub,`v without' having to' wheel, mayl be easily and quickly tightened and the lelloe swagedpdown againstthe ends of the wheel spokes and the spokes tight-k removethe wheel Afrom the axle. f t

rvAnother object ory the `invention is toV lvidev atool which is'of simpleconstruction',y strong. and durable 4and easy to operate. f

The vinvention o' will bey bestf understood ironia consideration 'of the following dethe accompanying' drawings forming` part v ofthis speciicatiom with the understanding, however,` that the invention: is not confined to any, strict conformity vwith the showing offtheif drawings but mayy vbe'y changedfor y.modified so longjassueh 'changes or modiicationsfimark YnoV material vr:der )arture from the ysalient eaturesof the invention aspfexpressed Vin* the appendedclainisjf Y fsb ' daily 011th@ lineifefefef Fig. i1,

f. i Figg is asectional `35v VInthe drawings s Fig. lf'isl a, view in si y, :tool y:embodying 'thefpre'sent invention, n i Fig. 2 is a 'sectionalviewrtakensubstan- .y few. taken uponythe linef of Fig.f2,'andw f 1"" Y vf Figrfisa view ,yin ,topkp'lan'of theftool,

Referringmofe pmiuiariy a the draw;k

ings wherein vlikey numerals of referencel fin- 4el dicfate *correspondingv partsy throughout the several views, the' numeral il indicates the gzmetalffelloe of a motor vehicle'wheel which f is carried by the Qwlieel fs`p`oles5 yone of which yisindieated by they numeral 2," eachofwhich Aspoln-s *has tenen Bion its [louter endy which y v passes'through an aperture of the felloe,`the f Aedgeof (which: aperture isi turned up slightly forming the flangefQfwhichsurrounds and,

' .when the' wheel isoriginally assembled,A is;

ypressed against the tenon to kgrip the `,same

deielevatin f the A'Nnofz. Ge'rnwoonffo TEMPLE OKLAHOMA 1 l 1' i iy Wiinnt'rrenriinne .ij A

Legge. `seran N'BQ leases, 1-

lthtsf'form jointl between j: the 'f spolgeand the felloelk ,This yconnectionbef itwe'enthespoke tenen andtheflange of the o f elloe' becomesl rloosened *wheel tof become noisy;

and thusy causes the yextending from eachy side of the recess. LA 60 handle 10 is secured in the recess 8v of the j head and is heldin place by the cap l1, the extendedy sides l2 of which are secured to progr f a -1 f the ears 9 by bolts/13.

lends' withv screw-'threads 14 Y and this thread-v "Jiedporti'onextends throughand'is inr thread-A o; o t jed connection with` a yoke bar k15,:the pas-f Y *tailed descriptiony taken Yin connection with 'sagethrough' which'the screw rshaft passes f vas shown.y

@Adjacent eachfendv'thebar is provided f" with ca longitudinallyv extending lseriesof Y through 'pone-end of apull arm k18 and sup f ports they same 'as illustrated. Each of the A.ar'rnsjlSisformedat its other 'endto' provide o' therhooklgwhichis designed to engagey be- Y Ys j f I The kdownward movement kof the. bar'lti` l upon the 'shaft isf limite'dfby anV adjusting -jnvutf'()which'ris.in'threaded engagement f the 'shaptbeneath the bar; Beneath the'nut ZOJis'anjantifrietion,element which {isp'in- `85 dic'ated generally by` the numeral 21 y'and f Y 'whichcornprises a pair y'of bearin'gball races k 22 betweenfwhich'bearing balls23 'are posif honed; *A' washer 24 surrounds the' shaft ,"beneathfthe bearing'element and this,I with 90 *the'bearin'g element, is' held on, the shaft y Y, by asleeve 25 placed over the lowerV end thereoffand held in .position by-a screw 26 or bytany othersuitable means inthe inan- #vided fwith "a number of these sleeves ornipples; ofl different size's Each sleeve fis @iras/h@ l'eeiye a Spoke @non 3A Oiga f *1,820,793 j l ,t *A ff' 55" ey tool' embodying the present invention y The o haft is yprovided intermediate its k5,5 y, Y

` beingfmidway {be'tweenv the ends of ythe belff 70ol given diameter and each is beveled as kin-y dicatedat 2.8,at'one end and upon itsinner edge, Y

. beneaththefelloe upon opposite sides of the Y In operation the pressure-applying nip-Vv ple orA sleeve 27 is'disposed over the spoke tenon 3 with the beveled inner edge Yor' shoulder28 engaging the upturnedredge of the aperture through `whichl the tenonfpassesl The lower endrof the shaft 6 is theninserted in the Yupper end of thenipple 27an'd the inturned ends 19vof the arms'lS"V are engaged-f spoke,l the bar 15, of course, extending across the felloerin the manner shown. A,

Thehandle lO'is then turned to rotate theV shaft sothat itfwill lmove downwardly and i Y exertpressu're upon thesleeve 27 as aresult l.,

`sleeve secured on the shaft and retaining the yantifrietion element in position thereon,

arms carried byisaidbaradapted to engage 'the felloe over the edges thereof, and means for lrotating said shaft. f Y Y In testimony whereof I hereuntoy alix my signature.

- i, AND@ .Z- GArEWOQD.

i of theforce. opposing its downward move-` i 'ment through the vbar 15 Vand arms V18 which `are conneetedwith tlna'rfelloe; This results v and, Caused to firmly grip the tenon. Due to Y in the shoulderf28 .of the v'pressure'applying' :sleeve exerting great Vpressure upon the edge lof the aperture through which the tenon t* passes so that this` edge will be bent down the bearing 2l interposed between the bar l l5 andthe sleeve 27, the turning of the shaft is made easy so'tliat the tool maybe used great deal without tiring the user'. t At the same time that the' sleeve 277is operating to Vforce the llangeb'downwardly into gripping engagement with VYthe spoke v tenon,the tool will. operate, due tothe spaced A engagement of the portions 19 of the arms L 18 with the fell'oe and the central engagement of the sleeve 27v therewith, toiflex the f he spokeadjacent the tooliirmlyfinto itsV y 1 soeketinthe wheel hub. r 'Y ,felloe .sufficiently toffo'rcen it Vdown' firmly v against the shoulderotthe spoke 2 and Ithis Y will at the sametime'foree the' other end of Havingthus'deseribedmy v in entien, what *y l Ielaim is A- 'i A spoke'tightening device Yfior-.vehicle wheelshaving a `felloe and spokes eachhaving a' tenon extending-through the Jelloe,

comprising a shaft,za,s leeve member adapted `,to position onftheQfelloe around `'a spoke ptenon, axbar having said-shaft,threadably extended therethrough, arm z Vmembers* ear-V ried by said Vbar nand formedto engageover lopposite edges'of therfelloe, anantitriction i Y ielement surrounding the shaft and inter- Vvposedbetween thebar and said sleeve,v and means for limitingthe fmovementof the bar Y onithe shaft, saidarms being adjustable lon- A Y rounding each tenonbeing turned to forma f Y 'Y liangeeomprisingashaft, asleeve designed 3 gitudinallyof thefbaiy A l 2. spoke'tightener for Vwheelsihaving a l metal felloe surroundingspokes each hav-Y ing'a tenon extending through an'v aperture Y inthe elloe, theedge of the aperturesur- :2

to Vpositionl against a Yflange andre'oeive a Y,

*enonfja bafhefrvng said-Shaft 'extending 'f izo 

